Free drop from a bunker

[clubchamp98]

It's hard to tell if this was a serious question or not. But the answer is 'no'....unless there is a local rule in place.

We played in a comp once and the local youth had burnt a car out on one of the greens!
the damage it did was horrendous.
that was Sunday morning and no time to put a LR in place.

also played one Sunday morning and somebody had stolen the 12th green.
pro job turf cutter left about 2 square yds with the flag in.

 

[salfordlad]

It's hard to tell if this was a serious question or not. But the answer is 'no'....unless there is a local rule in place.

LOL, or if both car and your ball are on the putting green.

 

[salfordlad]

We played in a comp once and the local youth had burnt a car out on one of the greens!
the damage it did was horrendous.
that was Sunday morning and no time to put a LR in place.

also played one Sunday morning and somebody had stolen the 12th green.
pro job turf cutter left about 2 square yds with the flag in.

Good to see the local delinquents maturing into productive, professional adults.

 

[Jigger]

This topic was discussed extensively a few months ago. https://forums.golfmonthly.com/threads/how-to-legally-test-a-bunker.112541/

Also, it would be a free drop inside the bunker, or one penalty stroke to drop back on the line outside the bunker. See 16.1c.

This is how I understand it too.

 

[Bdill93]

Another Bunker query - just don't want another thread.

Scenario that occurred this weekend to a mate-

Front of green bunker
Tee side (front half) of bunker is all flooded for full width of bunker
Green-side of bunker (second half) is not flooded and "playable"

If my ball comes at rest in the water, do I take relief from the water and drop no closer to the hole (out of the bunker)
Or do I drop in the bunker but closer to the hole?

 

[Steven Rules]

Unless there is a dropping zone (or, rarely, in some very unique and specific stroke and distance scenarios), under no other circumstances can you drop closer to the hole than the original spot of the ball.

If you cannot find complete relief from the water (no closer to the hole) inside the bunker then you can either find the point of maximum available relief** inside the bunker (no closer to the hole) or, for a one stroke penalty, take back on the line relief outside the bunker. Rule 16.1c.

Or you can play it as it lies, or you can take stroke and distance.

Edit. **Point of maximum available relief. See Definitions for a full explanation but, for example, when taking relief from temporary water, the point of maximum available relief may be where the ball will be in shallower water than where the player will stand (affecting the stance more than the lie and swing), or where the ball is in deeper water than where the player will stand (affecting the lie and swing more than the stance).

 

[Steven Rules]

If the relative positiong of the bunker, the temporary water in it, and the hole are such that free relief under Rule 16.1c may not be sufficient to allow for fair play, the Committee can choose to temporarily introduce Model Local Rule F-16 and treat the bunker as ground under repair in the general area so that free relief is allowed outside the bunker.

 

[Bdill93]

If the relative positiong of the bunker, the temporary water in it, and the hole are such that free relief under Rule 16.1c may not be sufficient to allow for fair play, the Committee can choose to temporarily introduce Model Local Rule F-16 and treat the bunker as ground under repair in the general area so that free relief is allowed outside the bunker.

Our place isn't one for marking stuff GUR unfortunately - so whilst it should be GUR id never expect to be that lucky at our place.

So just to get this right in my head, realistically the only option (other than playing from the water) was to take a penalty and drop behind the bunker.

You'll be thrilled to hear we told him to just play it from the bunker and id find out for future reference Thankfully it was just a game between mates and didnt mean anything!

Thanks for your help Steven!

 

[Steven Rules]

So just to get this right in my head, realistically the only option (other than playing from the water) was to take a penalty and drop behind the bunker.

Yes.

 

[Steven Rules]

For those playing along at home, and at the risk of stating the obvious, the bunker membrane in the original post and the temporary water in post #25 are both abnormal course conditions in a bunker. Therefore both situations are covered by the same Rule - 16.1c.